Pipe wrench



Aug. 1l, 1925.

w. 0.THEWES PIPE WRENCH Filed may 2e. 1922 @Em/.e5 I N VEN TOR.

Sm f M1222,

H/' ATTORNEY.5'

Patented Ausg. ll, i925..

ritratta .traiteur tries.

WILLIAM O. THEWES, 0F RIDGEVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE RIDGE TOOL COM- IPANY, OF NORTH BlDC-EVILLE, OHIO, A GORFOBATION OF OHIO.

PIPE WRENCH.

Application filed May 26, 1922. Serial No. 563,801.

To all 'whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM 0. Trrnwns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgeville, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe Wrenches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

More particularly my invention relates to wrenches of theJ type in which the nut that controls the adjustment of the movable upper jaw is not imprisoned by the wrench frame, but free to travel along thev threaded stem of the jaw without the necessity of having the jaw moved.

Heretofore, wrenches of this general character have been made, but have been hampered with sliding springs, the function of which spring is to normally press the upper part of the jaw forward. Furthermore,

such springs have been so mounted that the tension against the jaw is not always uniform, and in certain positions, the direction of the tension is reversed.

Among the objects of my invention are- 'To provide a wrench of the above general character in which the above objections are eliminated. j

Another object is to provide suitable protection for the tension'spring.

Anotherl object is to make the tension spring stationary.

I also find that mechanics in using wrenches of thisy character, Y are prone to use the same not only Vfor applying pressure to produce rotation in a plane parallel with thowidth of the wrench, but they also use the wrench by applying pressure to the handle at right angles thereto, as in bending pipes.

One of the objects of my invention .is to provide a rugged, substantial wrench which will stand this vkind of use, and which will insure against the more delicate parts of the wrench being injured. v Y

Another object therefore of my invention is to proyide a wrench which the casing through which the sliding jaw moves and the handle are made in one continuous unitary piece, and in which the cross sectional area increases steadily from the tip of the handle toward the head of the wrench, not only in the direction of thickness but in the direction of breadth as well.

To provide other details of improvement to increase the Vetliciency and serviceability of a wrench of the above general character.

To accomplish the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention makes use of means hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

Referreing to the accompanying drawing, Fig. l, is a side view of the wrench in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the spring employed.

Fig. 4t is a plan view of the said spring.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that the handle element 2 tapers gradually toward the head 3 shown in the upper part of the drawing. This head has a heel 4t which, as will be seen, projects to the left in Fig. 1. The tapering referred to takes place along both thek dimensions of breadth and thickness as will appear from an inspection of the drawing, Figs. 1 and 2. The object in this construction is to make the instrument rugged so that it may be used for lateral strains as well as strains in the usual direction.

It will be observed that through the heel there extends a channel in which the movable jaw 5 slides. This'channel iiares upwardly, the throat 6 being on the lower side and being narrower than the mouth 7 which is on the upper side. Within this channel there is a spring 8 which serves to maintain pressure against the jaw 5 tending normally Vto incline the upper part of the jaw to the right. This spring is mounted just below the protuberance 9 which latter serves to force the spring forward. Just below this protuberance, the spring S Secured to the heel by the rivet l0,

Along the stem 12 of the jaw 5 I provide a series of threads 13 which serve to engage and hold a nut 14:. It will be seen that this nut is free to move along the stem Without moving the jaw 5. However, the nut also serves to draw the jaw 5 down when it is desiredto apply pressureto anythingthat may be inserted between the aws ci' the device. The lower jaw 15 of the wrench is secured Vnear the-front -marginal section by the pin 16. Usually -the-lower jaw such/as the jaw 15 is secured on the inner side, that is, on the side nearest the stem 12 ofthe movable jaw, but I find that more satisfactory results are obtained V`:bly securing the lower jaw as I haveshown, Qneresult, for eira'mple'of such Construction -is lthat I provide ammore I'dur-ablearrangement. v'It will be` fseentlerefore, that I provide a *wrench which is 4adapted for rough usage', and which,notwithstanding, is fsimple, the, lhandle, head and heel being 'a continuons metallic unit. The heel serves as a casing in willich vthe vmovable jaw slides, and alsoserves asa hood :tor the spring l8 protecting the'l'atter against injury; also enabling the disposition of the' 'spring between the frame andthe movable jaw which results in a con-l tinuons "firm pressure of lthe 'upper endv lof thel jaw toward the right as shown in Fig. 1. -A'n fadv'antage iin constructing the wrench with-'a reeinnt 14 is thatit enables more speedy operation inasmuch as the workman may, withfhis'nger, spinvthe nut 14 which will travel'downwardly, orexample, in an instant, after which he may, by vstriking the lower end of the stein 12 with his list, sl-ide thek movable jsaw upward to .the desired adjusted'position. The same speedy operation canbe obtained in ymoving the jaw Vinthe reverse direction. Y Y Y vWiththis constructiomthe workman is'at liberty to use theiwrench as a'lever not only in the direction ofthe "arrow, Fig. l, but in the? dir'ectionsoui'A either arrow,Fig. 2.

It 'will benotedthat thel'ower nut engaging yface of the heel t indicated at 417 curved y:assh-own in Fig. `1, and the top suriface' of the nut '14 indicated ,at`18 engaging this laterally curved lheel face, f enables the nut 18 to move over the curved surfacelaterally as illustrated inFig. '1 kwhen the movable jaw is'inoved laterally, lbeingrotated in a vertical .plane las when tightening 'the wrenchronto' awpipe orflloosening the same. Thi's'ctirved :tace acting onftlie vnut "14 acts like ,a cam facci when the operatorA pulling on the wrench handle causes the aws to'tighten onto-the pipe or'other'work.

Bylreferring'to Fig. 2,'it will beseen that thefface 17 isi of'larger horizontal areathan thecross sectionai areaotthe nut 14with which :it contacts. This construction provides. .a f laterally ezrrsending iiange vwhich `is of larger diameter than'tlrewnut,fand when the wrench is put down or thrown down on a table or the iioor, the nut is maintained substantially ont ot contact with the floor or table surface, and is prevented from being turned thereby, and the adjustment of the wrench, by this construction, is maintained. Alsowthe larger area of the nut contacting face produces a larger bearing surface for the nut.

It will be noted also that the lowerlnost thread, 19, on the portion 12 of the jaw 45 is turned so that the nut 14 may not be removed from the end 12 of the said j aw and thereby lost.

1. A pipe wrench comprising a handle shank, a casing extending laterally `fromone endoi' said handle shank having a channel extending therethrough substantially par` allel to said handle shank-,1a stationary jaw at the lend 'of said shankladj acent said' casing, a slidable tlnreadedsh'ank eXtendingth-rongh the Achannel in @said casing, 1a `j1aw at yone end otsaid slidable shank fadapted'to cooperate with said stationary jaw, flanges'exttending outwardly from twoopposite sideslat the 'end 'of said casing adjacent to @said handle, `the end faces of said flanges being parallel and laterally curved conveirlyn from :saidl handle shank, a spring pressed bearing member fenclosed withinsaid casing-exerting pressure againstthe side of'sai'd'slidable Vshankffadjacent said handle to normally maintain `said shank against nioveinentand to tilt the jaw on `said 'shank 'toward said 'stationary aw, and afreely rotatable nut on the end of said threaded shank projecting through said casing adapted'to be spun intoand youtof engagement with the convex` Jrac'e of said flanges, -the engagement of said nntwith said flanges maintaining said 1jaw `in desired relation lwhile in operation, said sli'dable jaw being adjustably independent loifsaid nut when said nutis spaced from said flanges, said Ynut lengaging the convexY tace of `said 7flanges on opposite sides of said shank in anyposition in whichfsaid slidable shank is tilted.

2. A pipe ywrench "comprising a handle shank, a casing 'extending Ilaterally from one end of said handle shankhaving achan- 'nel extending therethrough substantially parallel `to Ysaid 'handle shank, :a stationary jawat the end of'said shank'adjacent said casing, a' slidable threaded shank, extending through the channel in `said casing, Va jaw at one end of saidslidable shank adapted to Ycooperate with said stationary jaw, lianges extending outwardly from two opposite sides at the endet said casingiadja'cent to said handle, `a spring pressed bearing member enclosedwithin said casing exerting sure against theside` of said slidable s ank adjacent said handle to Ynormally maintain said shank'against movement and to tilt the jaw on -said'shank toward said stationary resjaw, and a freely rotatable nut on the end of said threaded shank projecting through said casing adapted to be spun into and out of engagement with the lower faces of said flanges maintaining said jaw in desired relation while in operation, said slidable jaw being adjustably independent 0f said nut when said nut is spaced from said flanges,

said nut engaging the lower faces of said flanges on opposite sides of said Shanks in 10 any position in which said sldable shank is tilted.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name this 23rd day of May, 1922.

WILLIAM O. THEWES. 

